Temperance is not reflective of the common definition of the word, like Women’s Christian Temperance Union. It’s about the act of tempering, which is a way of treating steel with fire to make it stronger. This week’s keyword is verification, in which we try out hypotheses to form theories.
This card’s Hebrew letter is Samekh, meaning either tent peg or to prop, establish or uphold. Case’s major quote here is “application is the touchstone by which all knowledge must be tested”. He views that as the foundation of the house of the true identity, which is also your personality once it has been purified by the act of temperance. This is possible via the Law of Equilibrium, which states “as above, so below”.
14 is reason (4) expressing itself through concentration (1). 1+4=5, the Hierophant card showing the importance of intuition. Astrological alignment is with Sagittarius, attributed to fire and Jupiter.
This is Michael the archangel of the Sun, and therefore of fire. He has one foot in the water and one on dry land. The Hebrew letters in his chest, IHVH, is a name of god, while the seven pointed star (which can only be drawn with the aid of two compasses) signifies the work of man. Sagittarius is referenced by his red and blue wings.
The torch drops five Hebrew letter Yods on the head of an eagle. They represent the five senses. The vase signifies water on the head of a lion, Leo, a fire sign.
The path leads between the two mountains of Wisdom and Understanding.
The meditation for the week is to try to test yourself and your levels of consciousness and perception the way you would a scientific experiment. How can you verify your various intuitions and how accurate are they?
Lucina's Cauldron 